The enormous popularity of the toy breed dog in recent years has led to a decline in the quality of the breeds. Non-professional breeders and animal dealers have begun the practice of operating “puppy mills” with no regard as to quality or the health of the animal. Only reputable breeders can guarantee that you are receiving a healthy dog with the traits and character of the breed.

Most breed dogs are advertised and sold as “pedigreed” or “registered”, but exactly what is a pedigree? In its simplest terms, a pedigree is a record of the lineage or family tree of the dog in question, including its father (size), the mother (dam), grandsire, grand dam, great grand sire and son on. The American Kennel Club and other similar registries are the keepers of these pedigrees.

Breeders submit their information about a dog’s history or lineage, along with a name, color, sex, parentage, date of birth, the breeders name and or owner, and any titles (awards), that the animal has won in AKC sanctioned shows. The AKC has to rely on the breeder/owner to be honest in their submissions as they cannot verify all the information for each dog individually. DNA testing is now being used, especially if a conflict arises questioning the accuracy of a sale or a show event.

The AKC has a “Standard” for each registered breed. You can look up the standard at their website, www.akc.org. Any dog that meets the AKC’s requirements may be registered. A registration does not tell you if the dog is of good quality or if it really is what it’s supposed to be. What it does tell you is that your dog is registered with them and that its records are on file. Registration means that the parents (sire and dam), were also registered, but you can’t judge the quality of the dog from looking only at his or her registration papers.

A pedigree is only as good as the honesty of the breeders that supplied the information. It cannot tell you if the lineage were of good quality, bad quality, what they looked like, or whether they have inherited health or temperament problems. If you plan to breed or show your dog, this information is extremely important. If your dog is a companion only pet, then you probably won’t be too concerned about its history or lineage.

To summarize, a pedigree is a tool that helps breeders produce a better quality breed of dog. This is not meant to sound cold or callous, but as you stray from the pure breed lineage, defects can develop that can make an unhealthy and miserable pet, that may also be short lived due to more pronounced health problems. You should only buy from reputable breeders that are recommended to you by your local AKC chapter, or breed association or club. For further information, please contact the American Kennel Club.

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